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Topic: Five favorite songs (no pressure) (Read 2697 times)

This list is just an honest snapshot. And actually only one of them would appear on my top 10 albums. (Spoiler, it's Mew.) Nevertheless, this is a pretty good approximation of my 5 favorite songs.

1. Jon Brion - "So Now Then"

It's admittedly a cheat to pull from a soundtrack, but I still think of "So Now Then" as my favorite song, even 15+ years later. So rich, so layered, so powerful... this song is a total masterpiece and just destroys me. I love being manipulated by Jon Brion.

Holy crap. "White Foxes" is one of the best songs I've heard in a while.

Hearing it for the first time was a revelation... didn't even need to grow on me. This song was basically designed for me from the ground up. Complete perfection in composition and execution. It's also quoted in my signature.

3. Mew - "Cartoons and Macramé Wounds"

Arguably Mew's best track. And basically my favorite song from my favorite album. (There are like 5 close seconds, so this is a hard choice.) A beautiful, lush multi-part concept song. The transition at 1:02 is one of my favorite things ever.

4. Paramore - "Hallelujah"

This is the most played song in my iTunes by a comfortable margin. Not the Leonard Cohen song. Were it not for the underwhelming bridge, this would possibly be the best song ever recorded. Even humanity's most perfect creations must include a flaw, to acknowledge that only the divine is without defect.

5. Atticus Fault - "Little People / Mary Mother"

I've talked about this several times before, and it's a bit of a rare find. It's as if Atticus Fault was put on earth to deliver this musical gift, and then their souls were abruptly vacuumed back to the world beyond, where they could resume their other divine works. This is very much a song pair. Think of "Little People" as the intro, a bizarre rock song (the lyrics are important here), bleeding into "Mary Mother" which is also strange but has the emotional payoff.

This is tough, because at any given point there are a handful of songs that we listen to the most, but that doesn't necessarily make them our ALL TIME favorites. The way I listen to music, I do find myself going back to some songs repeatedly and never growing tired of them. The rhythm or a lyric will stay with me and I'll want to comb through it trying to figure out how it was made and why it has such an affect on me. I'll do my best to list the songs that are LIKE THAT for me right now.

Sia- Free The AnimalThis has all of my best attributes of a good pop song, most notably it's darkly violent lyrics set to a catchy beat and hook. Sia is my current favorite artist based on a group of songs from her last album "1,000 forms of fear" such as "Chandelier", "Elastic Heart", and "Burn The Pages."

Aimee Mann- Save Me Glad you brought up this soundtrack, JB. What's so infectious about this song to me is the bassline, I can't get enough of it. What instrument is that? I love the lyrics, too. You can't listen to this without having a very specific person in mind who you'd like to "Save you."

Kendrick Lamar- King KuntaI resisted this dude for so long, but I've fallen in love with a few tracks from his new album like "Alright" and "Blacker the Berry." He has such stellar production behind him, but above all his lyricism and ear for a tune is making rap interesting again.

Beck- Paper TigerSea Change is one of those albums I wish I'd never heard just to have that first listen again. The scope of what they're doing with the instruments felt like they were trying to make something that was "beyond music." Can't think of another album that so effectively transports me to a different place.

Foreigner- UrgentI love the sincerity of this band. They're nerdy guys, totally dedicated to rockin', and their lyrics often come from a place of true vulnerability. I've always liked their songs, but didn't realize until recently that they've had SO MANY hits, like "Double Vision", "Cold as Ice", "Waiting for a Girl." This one has the most resonance to me, for the way it's written, but in large part due that crunchy guitar riff.

this is what happens, no one says anything for a little bit and this is what happens.

this song is the reason i wanted to make this post, this is a song i'm "obsessed" with and is on a playlist of songs i have been and continue to be "obsessed" with

i like and vibe with emotions in electronic music, example

example of younger generation understanding and valuing and expanding the past

not only does she sing this live in this video, but she sings it BREEZILY, which is crazy impressive to me and i think she makes Malkmus sound like a walk in the park (i'm exaggerating for emotional emphasis)

always an old song along with the new, always. and this was selected over Ronee Blakley's Dues (from Nashville) but i think i've mentioned both songs here before and i'm "addicted"

jb: i'm incredibly drunk so i'm going to attempt to reel this in as much as possible.white foxes by suzanne sundfor is now mine and my girlfriends song. it may be the most beautiful song ever. i will elaborate when im not going to make a fool of myself.